Use case
What first response time really measures
First response time is one of the most cited support metrics — and one of the most inconsistently measured. Here's how Orbit defines and measures it, and why your team should care about the details.
Who it's for
- Service managers tracking FRT
- MSPs reporting FRT to clients
- Help desks setting FRT targets
Pain points we solve
- FRT defined differently across tools and teams
- Auto-acknowledgments counted as 'first response'
- FRT metric that doesn't match client perception
How Orbit fits
Orbit defines FRT as the first human-authored response to a client message. Auto-acknowledgments don't count. The metric matches what clients actually experience.
Capabilities
What Orbit delivers
Human-response-only FRT
Auto-replies excluded from the metric.
Per-tier targets
Different FRT targets per agreement tier.
Reporting and trends
FRT by tier, technician, category, and trend over time.
Common use cases
When teams reach for this
- Premium-tier FRT defense
- Coaching techs on response patterns
- Reporting FRT performance to leadership
Frequently asked questions
- Why exclude auto-acknowledgments?
- Auto-acknowledgments don't move a ticket forward. Counting them as 'first response' inflates the metric without improving the client experience.
Get started
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